Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa
13 June 2024
The Secunda District Court sentenced four accused to prison after their appearance facing charges of stock theft.
The four suspects were arrested with two others on a farm in Trichardt after the complainant received a burglar alarm at Farm Goedehoop on Saturday, 02 February 2019, and when he checked through the windows, he noticed two of the accused chasing and catching the sheep.
After noticing them, the complainant then informed the farm watch forum to close and monitor the road. While they were keeping an eye on the accused, the farm watch members noticed a Ford Bantum vehicle parked next to the road leading to the farm with no occupants.
It is alleged that the accused caught three sheep, tightened them, and loaded them in the same vehicle seen parked next to the road with shoelaces and wires.
The complainant, with the assistance of the farm watch forum, managed to positively identify the sheep with the tattoo on the left ear of each sheep, and the accused were apprehended and handed over to police for further arrest and detention. The stolen and recovered sheep valued at R3600.00 were handed over to Mr Gerhard Visser, the lawful owner.
After the matter was reported to Trichardt police, the docket was transferred to the Bethal Stock Theft Unit and was allocated to Detective Sergeant James Mthimunye for further investigation.
During their appearance at court, the magistrate withdrew charges against accused number four. Further investigations conducted by delighted police officers led to the conviction of the suspects by the Secunda District Court.
During their district court appearance on Tuesday, 28 May 2024, the Magistrate found the four accused guilty of the offence committed, and the three accused were sentenced as follows:
Mzameleni Simenyelwa Sithole (41), Sonboy Mandla Masilela (23), and Sfundo Lucas Sithole (41) were fined R7000.00 or five months imprisonment wholly suspended for a period of five years on condition that the accused are not convicted of stock theft and contravening Section 1 of Act 57 of 1959 or an attempt thereto committed during the period of suspension.
In terms of Section 103 of Act 60 of 2000 of the firearm control act, all accused are not declared unfit to possess firearms, while Njabulo Xaba (34) was fined R5000.00 or in default of payment for a period of five months of direct imprisonment, half of which is suspended for a period of five (5) years on condition that the accused is not convicted of the same offence during the period of the suspension and he was not declared unfit to possess a firearm.
